Building AI agents inside a retail ERP
What I learned connecting Claude to NetSuite via MCP servers, and why context engineering matters more than prompt engineering.
Read →I'm Ovina Peiris - Head of Engineering & Architecture at an Australian omnichannel retailer.
I design composable commerce platforms that connect ERP, e-commerce, and data systems into unified architectures. I build AI-augmented operations that turn manual processes into intelligent workflows. I lead cross-functional engineering teams across timezones and tech stacks.
I write about the decisions that shape technology organisations - the architecture, the strategy, and the courage it takes to build what hasn't been built yet.
What I write about
Composable Architecture
MACH principles, headless commerce, API-first design, and the art of building systems from interchangeable, best-of-breed components. How to move from monolithic platforms to composable ecosystems that evolve with your business.
AI-Augmented Operations
Agentic AI, context engineering, LLM integration, and building intelligent workflows that augment human judgment. Practical approaches to deploying AI in enterprise environments where reliability matters more than novelty.
Engineering Leadership
Scaling teams from 10 to 50+, building engineering culture, navigating the path from engineer to CTO. The systems, frameworks, and hard conversations that shape high-performing technology organisations.
Latest writing
Apr 2026
thebold architect
Weekly-ish thoughts on composable architecture, AI-augmented operations, and the courage to build what hasn't been built yet.
No spam. No fluff. Just architecture and strategy.
Frequently asked questions
Ovina Peiris is a technology leader and Head of Engineering & Architecture at Kitchen Warehouse Australia. He specialises in composable commerce architecture, AI-augmented operations, and engineering team scaling. He is based in Perth, Western Australia.
The Bold Architect is a technology leadership publication by Ovina Peiris covering composable commerce architecture, AI strategy, and engineering leadership for technology leaders building for scale.
Composable commerce architecture is an approach to building e-commerce systems using interchangeable, best-of-breed components connected through APIs. It follows MACH principles: Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, and Headless.
AI-augmented operations is the practice of integrating AI agents, large language models, and intelligent automation into enterprise workflows to enhance human decision-making and operational efficiency without replacing human judgment.
Context engineering is the discipline of designing, managing, and optimising the information environment that AI agents operate within. It involves curating what data, instructions, and tools an AI model sees during inference to produce reliable, accurate outputs.